Tuesday update

Well, it has been a long day but praise God the bronchoscopy went well so far. We'll see how I do tonight, I'm just mainly tired. We go to clinic tomorrow to see the doctors but I'm not sure when we will get the results back from the bronch. Thank you for your prayers.

I did have a wonderful time being with Emily T. and her new sweet daughter, Savannah! I also was able to go visit my sister which was very awesome! So I got to drive all over the east and then I picked Jason and Faith up in Birmingham last night.

I'll try to give updates through out the week. Hope you all are doing well!

Just Me & Maggie

Just Me & Maggie from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.

Tea Time! from Emily Mulkey on Vimeo.



For those of you who are wondering why Maggie has a split on (not because of her owners) it's because she is not walking on her leg the right way and so this split is helping her learn the correct way, before it gets worse.
Although Maggie & Faith have sweet moments Maggie can also be quite the little biter (puppy stage) so Faith runs from couch to couch trying to stay away. She will holler out "Scared....Maggie! Faith is very helpful though, she is already learning how to take care of a dog. She feeds Maggie 3 times a day. She will call, "Supper Supper Supper....Maggie!" We hope that they will grow up together being good buds.

You can be praying for us as I leave tomorrow for AL. I will be going out early (before my clinic stuff) so I can be with Emily T. and her NEW BABY GIRL, Savannah!So excited for them and the new journey they have begun!
Jason and Faith will fly out on Monday to be with me for my bronchoscopy on Tuesday and clinic on Wednesday. We thank you for your many prayers for us as we travel and I do my tests. I'll try to keep everyone updated on how things are going. Hope all is well with you and your families!

6 Years!

Jason and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary on the 15th. We were able to take a little weekend trip together, which was a great gift to both of us since it had been a while. (Last time we went on a trip together was 3 years ago when I was pregnant with Faith)

For those of you who have children you know the feeling of going anywhere for a long period of time without them. I find myself double checking where she might be and making sure I have a sippy cup, diapers, wipes & of course blanket. (If you forget blanket good luck in having a good night sleep!) hehe
I also find myself rushing through dinner so that I might finish before she does so I can keep her entertained for the rest of the meal which usually gets cut short anyway. And then, knowing your alarm clock to the sound of "Mama Mama, are you?" will be waking up at the crack of dawn.

NOW, I would not change these wonderful gifts that come with being a mama but it's also nice to come away and spend sometime with your man. =)

These are our dating years......very romantic =)

It's been 6 years filled with joys, heartache, challenges and blessings. We began our journey together with the Lord and not a single idea what would be ahead of us. Therefore I'm thankful the Lord was with us or I'm not quite sure how we would have made it through some of our valleys. Though our valleys have been difficult we have enjoyed some beautiful views, or blessings from the mountain tops and I'm forever thankful I have had Jason holding my hand through it all!

This is my lover, this is my friend. SOS 5:16

Thoughts

Well, I thought I was doing pretty good at keeping up with my blog but today I had 2 friends ask me when I was going to update it about my health and how we are doing. I guess we have had so many other things going on that I have just been blogging about that. It's actually been a nice breath of fresh air to blog about the exciting things we have been doing and just the day to day things of life. As I told Jason pre-transplant, "Once I get my new lungs you won't be able to keep me down!" So far that has been the case, I just want to go and do everything!

However, I did get in "trouble" with my sister in-law, Christie for not keeping her informed about my swallowing problems. =) (We have to keep each other in line sometimes, hehe)
I don't want to sound as if CF patients are the toughest people around (even though they are tough) yet when you live with a disease all your life you just learn to do deal, live with your body not quite functioning the way it is suppose too. Therefore you tend to not mention or say anything about a little issue if you can live with it. It also means that if you mention it there is a pretty good bet that you will be scheduled with another doctor or put on another medicine. This way of thinking might sound crazy to some of you yet I'm just giving you a little glimpse of some of the way CF people think.
I remember writing in my journal when I was very young that I NEVER wanted my CF to keep me from doing anything yet over the years I've come to realize a couple of things.
1) That no matter how hard I tried CF did limit me in some of the things I wanted to do
2) That I didn't want CF to limit me but if I let the Lord work through me then I WAS not limited in what He had planned for my life.
He has blessed me with so many wonderful gifts (my husband, daughter, family & friends, new lungs!) and He has given me opportunities to share what He has done in and through my life.

Sorry I kind of went off the subject but then that's the nice thing about blogging.....you can say whatever you want to share. So, here is my health update.

I did my swallowing procedure last week and it went well. The doctor believes it is just inflamed and should get better over time. I see her next week for a follow up so I might know something new then. We go back to AL the first of March for another bronchoscopy and clinic. I really ask for your prayers as I go in for the bronchoscopy as you might remember the last one was pretty rough. Thanks again for your support and prayers and as always I love hearing from you too!

Got Tagged

Well, I never end up doing the blog tag thing, mainly because I don't have the time but my friend, Micahl tagged me and I thought this one would be fun to do.


So here are the directions:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same.~No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.) Have fun!!

I couldn't think of a BETTER picture! This is what Faith looked like as she came out of the play house, LOTS of beads and a "Mask of Zorro" hat!

Tagg~

Christie

Katey

Suzanne

Tiff

A New Addition

We would like to show off our newest family member! She is very sweet and cute! We have been looking to get an English Bulldog for 3 years now and we finally took the plunge. I believe we are going to call her, "Maggie". Faith has enjoyed the new puppy except when Maggie decides to chew on Faith's feet! She is a great family dog, needs little exercise, (my kind of dog!) and loves to cuddle in your lap!

Maggie

Oh, sweet kisses

Faith is already training her to like books.....except I don't think Maggie can stay awake for all the books Faith reads!

Cute

Loves to sleep......Look at that belly!

Health update-

I have been doing well, praise the Lord. Although I am over all doing well I do have one issue that I have been struggling with for a couple of months now. My swallowing has been having trouble. My food gets stuck in my throat and it takes me a little while to get it to go down. It happens at least once a day so it was something I needed to get checked. I have went in to see a GI doctor last week and on Wednesday I will go in and they will take a scope and look down my esophagus to see what might be going on. I continue to ask for your prayers through this. Thanks!

My weekend has been fun as we have enjoyed our new puppy yet it's been mixed with tears and heart break as I lost a friend, Jenny, who received her second transplant a couple of weeks ago yet passed away over the weekend. She had a very difficult fight and I thought for sure God had given her these second pair of lungs so she could begin a new life again yet it's hard to know or sometimes understand what God has planned. Let me just say, I do KNOW it was never the Lord's will for Jenny or anyone to die in the first place. When He created the world He created us to live forever, not to have disease, heartache, troubles or pain. We chose to sin and therefore we have to live or watch the consequences of sin. Yet, I'm also thankful the Lord is still in control and His plan is always good. Someday it will be just as God once created it to be but until then this life is a journey, pilgrimage that is difficult yet He is there with us each step of the way. Leading us Home.....

Please pray for Justin, Jenny's husband and her family.

When I saw Justin and Jenny in December, she was doing everything she could to survive till her new lungs came available. One day when I was walking the halls I stopped and talked with Justin, expressing how much my heart hurt for them and praying she would receive that call very quickly. I will never forget his words. He thanked me for my concern and prayers but he then he said, "You need to get well and go and live your life with your husband and little girl. Go and enjoy this new life!" What an unselfish thing to say when I know he was hurting as he watched his wife suffer. Thank you Justin & Jenny for being such shining lights...

2 Toddlers+Mischievous=A WHOLE LOT OF FUN!

I would like to think we all have a little mischievous in us but when it comes to toddlers, mischievous is just another word for lots of FUN! Faith & Sissy have begun to make quite a name for themselves when it comes to finding trouble (excuse me....fun). When those two little minds come together there is no limit to what can be thought up or tried out! Now most of the time they are on the same page but sometimes the competitiveness side comes out. For 2 girls who LOVE reading books, wearing shoes, watching Dora & playing dolls, we better have 2 of everything or the claws can come out. It amazes me how they can be so sweet together having "tea" and the next minute either in destructive mode or about ready to end the friendship over who gets to wear what jacket! (Not sure if there is this much drama with little boys but it certainly keeps our lives interesting)

Altogether though these girls have had a lot of fun and it is a joy to watch them play, unless they are pumping all the hand sanitizer into cups! =) We still don't know if Brandon & Christie will be able to adopt Sissy, there are many factors that make this case a difficult one for the judge to decide. Yet, we continue to pray for the Lord's will and hope that it is for her to stay. She is such a joy to be around and I'm glad Faith has a good buddy in crime......I mean friend. =)

Faith & Sissy

The girls always have time for reading


This picture is blurry but I wanted to give you an idea of how they do everything together! They both came downstairs with (play) swords! AHHHH! WATCH OUT!

This is one of those mischievous moments~ They unpeeled all the bananas and left a trail starting at the bottom of the stairs and we found them sitting at the top of the stairs, quite content with themselves, eating whatever leftover bananas they had.

Thanksgiving~ of course, both must fit in the baby doll Pack-in-Play

Here comes the Bride....

A beautiful bride, a handsome groom, an amazing wedding, a great couple coming together as one, what more could you ask for?! It has been 7 years since Callie & Hayden first met and 4 years of dating so you could say they have been waiting for this moment for quite some time! I'm so thankful I was able to be apart of such an important moment in my sister's life. To be able to help and serve her on her special day meant the world to me! There is no way I would have been able to keep up with my old lungs so Praise the Lord for this gift. Although I was happy to serve Callie she had another helper that was RIGHT there ready to help in anyway........her favorite niece, Faith (her only niece). =)

I was so surprised how much Faith wanted to be apart of helping Callie get ready. It was as if she jumped from 2 years old to 10 in a matter of minutes. She had to be involved with every part, it was a lot of fun to watch her so excited to be one of the girls. =)

It was a beautiful wedding and we are so excited to have Hayden apart of the family! I know God has much in store for them as they begin this new journey.

I once heard someone say that on your wedding day you look at your bride/groom with so much love that you don't see their faults or imperfections, just beauty and joyfulness! That is how Christ looks at us, His bride. Because of Jesus we are that perfect bride to him, beautiful and spotless.

Congratulations Cal & Hayden! We love you!

Romans 12:12

December is one of my favorite months and like most people I have a list of all the fun holiday things I would like to do.

*Bake Christmas cookies & goodies for family & friends
*Go look at Christmas lights
*Take Faith to the Christmas store so we can buy a new ornament for the year (I have bought her one every year so that when she leaves the home she will have her a good collection to start with on her first tree)
* Buy gifts

*Pick a tree out and decorate it

and the list continues.....

I was especially looking forward to this Christmas with my new lungs and energy. I thought for sure I would be able to accomplish many things for my family and friends and do lots of fun things with Faith. Well I was in for quite a different Christmas and an opportunity to examine my heart. As many of you know December started out with my scary episode in AL but Praise God we were able to come home a week later and I thought,"OK, now we can enjoy the rest of the season". A week later my WHOLE family, extended family as well all got sick with the tummy virus! Just as I thought we were better and that I had some how missed this sickness I got the bug on Christmas Eve and so I spent it with Faith, Jason and the trash can. So, the next day we had to cram in seeing all of our different sides of the family and therefore just how it worked (not by choice) out we missed 2 of our Christmas dinners so by the time we got to my moms house that night we were tired, hungry and a little frizzled out. Faith had not been feeling well ALL day and was very cranky so before we headed to my moms we decided to give her some Children's Tylenol for her running nose and cough. I was in a hurry getting things together and Jason asked me the dose for her and either I said the wrong thing or he heard different I'm not sure but he gave her too much. We realized that she had been overdosed on the way to my moms house (Christmas Day night) so as soon as we walked into the house we had to call Poison Control and make sure we didn't have to make a run to the ER or something. Praise God she was fine and it did a good job of drying her up and she was in great spirits!

You always hear, Jesus is the reason for the season. But.....is he really the center of our Christmas? This is the question I had to really ask myself since everything had fallen apart and my joy seemed very slim due to all the things I wasn't able to do with Faith during the holidays and our plans constantly changing. It was as if He had allowed all the "traditional" things I do for Christmas to be stripped away and then pose the question..........Where does your joy come from?

It's not in the doing or giving of Christmas, it's not baking goodies (which I'm not good at anyway, hehe), it's not the decorations or how we spend Christmas, it's not even that I have new lungs (even though I am truly thankful!). Although all these things have reason to rejoice in, it should not be the center of my joy.

"Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." Romans 12:12

I read this verse Christmas morning, I can have joy because I have hope. Hope in what? In Jesus who came to earth as a baby and grew up and chose to feel and understand what it was to walk this difficult road we call life and then lay down His life for us, sinners so that we might have hope. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead we can have the same hope that for those who have trusted Christ as their Savior we too might be spiritual raised to life and live with God forever.

Like I said before it was a strange and very different Christmas yet it was a kick in the pants that I needed. To examine ones heart is never easy and most of the time I find it quite unpleasant but then sometimes we have to allow him to clean the cobwebs so the light can shine through.

Here is a look at some of our activities in December~

My sweet cousin, Jessica was able to stop by and see us when I was in the hospital the first of December. Her two cute little guys~ Lucas & Alex

I asked Jason if I could have one of these huge blow up Christmas decorations for our house and the answer was.....No! Although I really would like one of those snow machines so we could really have snow on Christmas!

Sick & pooped out on Christmas, this was the only time she would cuddle so Papa took full advantage of that!

Hayden, Callie, Tyler & Landon

Enjoying the nice crisp weather with Nana (or Nannie what Faith has changed it too)

Love my new Dora pj's that mama & daddy gave me

The new style....a onesie, shirt, head band & boots!

Tea anyone? Love to have tea parties with my new tea set

Sweet babies, our nieces~

Nan & Lily

WOW!!!

All I can say is WOW! It has been quite the ride since we have moved back home with trying to adjust to a new place again, the holidays, the scary episode in Birmingham with my health, all of our family being sick over Christmas and just finished celebrating Callie & Hayden's wedding! I look back and think how crazy yet I also am so thankful I was able to keep up and really be apart of all the activities (I could have skipped the being sick part though).

I feel like I have so much to share with everyone since my last post so I'll try to catch up a little at a time. =) Hopefully I'll have some good pictures up of the wedding and some things we have been up too the past couple of weeks. For starters I got to work on getting my Christmas stuff down, as it has been placed on the back burner with everything going on. But HEY! my Christmas tree continues to live on! Now that is a miracle! Anybody that knows me knows any living green thing that comes into my home never stands a chance to live longer then a couple of weeks....or days!

Ok, I've rambled on about nothing but I just wanted to let people know we are still here and doing well. I'll try to update more soon....Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!